THE SUDDEN
AND THE TOO LATE!
The title of my homily for this 21st Friday in Ordinary Time is, “The Sudden and the Too Late!”
I would like to preach on today’s gospel: Matthew 25:1-13. It's the Parable of Ten Virgins.
Today’s gospel is a warning. We can be too late. We can be sleep
walkers. We can be unwise.
So the messages are:
Don’t be late! Don’t be asleep. Be wise and wide awake -because Jesus might suddenly come into our life.
JOACHIM JEREMIAS
Joachim Jeremias is his classic book on The
Parables of Jesus - spends a lot of time on this unique parable about the Ten Virgins, the Ten Bridesmaids.
He says this parable might not be necessarily an allegory - but a true
story that Jesus experienced. And Jesus
took the story - and applied it to staying awake - because sometimes we’re
sleeping and the surprise happens. We
might miss God moments and God opportunities in life.
Then the Early
Church made it an
allegory - that Christ is the Bridegroom - and heaven is the Great Wedding
Banquet.
In fact, Joachim Jeremias said that seeing the Messiah as
the bridegroom was not a Jewish thought and image - before Christ. [1]
He also says that his dad - when he lived in Palestine in the early
1900’s saw the games and practices that people played at the time of a wedding.
There would be all kinds of fun delays - for example, the family of the bride would
still be haggling with the family of the bridegroom - over the price of the
dowry and the worth of the bride. [2]
There were also dances and processions in the dark night -
with lamps or candles - as the bridegroom was marched to where the bride was -
and then let the celebrations begin.
So the Early
Church - used this
parable when talking about the Parousia - the Second Coming - the Coming Back
of Christ - to take us all to himself. There is a lot of evidence in the New
Testament that this world was going to end - and end quickly - and the Lord Jesus
will return and march us all to paradise.[3]
It wasn’t happening - so one of the reasons for these parables and stories of Jesus
was to help the folks - realize: there are delays.
SUDDEN AND TOO LATE
We’ve all had experiences of the “Sudden” and the “Too
Late”.
Yesterday morning I was in deep sleep - deep, deep sleep - at my niece’s house
in New Jersey.
A loud knock on the door woke me - along with my nephew walking in the room and asking
if the iron was in here. He wanted to iron his suit jacket. I had no clue what he was talking about. He and his sister
were going to another funeral. We had just finished his dad’s funeral and I was
still sleeping.
It was an experience of the sudden.
I wasn’t going to the funeral they were going to - but they
could be late. That’s an experience we’ve all had - that of being “too late”.
As priest we get the view of the back doors of every church.
We can’t help but see - who’s coming in late.
As priest, I’ve been late - for
various things. Now one big advantage of being late is this: we can learn to understand that
sometimes it’s our fault when we’re late - and sometimes it's not our fault. There was a traffic
accident or a wrong turn or someone got sick or what have you.
If being late leads us to understanding of others, great.
If being late leads us to understand that sometimes Christ
comes at us suddenly - that's also a great message. So: Be alert. Be awake. Be wise. Don’t want miss Jesus - who can be the best surprise of a lifetime - and eternity!
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, "The Sudden and the Too Late."
Hopefully, we can grow from both - because we've had both experiences.
NOTES:
[1] Joachim Jeremias, The Parables of Jesus, Scribner Studies in Biblical Interpretation, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1963, page 52
[2] Idem page 173
[3] The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, [1990] Prentice Hall, Englewood Clffs, New Jersey, 07632, Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J. "The Second Epistle of Peter, pages 1021, 1022, Cf. #23-28; John L. McKenzie, S.J., Dictionary of the Bible, Macmillan Publishing Co.. Inc. New York, 1965, pages 638-640.
